the castro after midnight
was probably not the place for me

not as crowded as it looked
on the eleven o’clock news
but still plenty of revelers
wandering the streets

some intoxicated and slow
weaving along in high spirits
others sober and fast
striding through with purpose

a few completely still, sitting
at unserviced bus stops, sipping water
observing the flow of people, passing
excited, but unsure what to do